This invention relates to animated bird replica apparatuses having a pair of laterally extending bird wing members which rotate on a common axis to simulate a bird in flight in which the wing rotation is driven using a flexible cable attached to the wings, and in particular where the rotation is driven using a foot pedal attached to a remote end of the cable.
Animated bird replicas are popularly available in a wide variety of configurations and styles for numerous sporting and recreational activities. Animated waterfowl apparatuses having bird wing members rotating on a common axis have particular application as decoys at a water site where they effectively simulate a bird in flight about to land on the water. Applicant""s animated waterfowl decoy apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,170,188 and 6,408,559. Existing art animated bird replicas drive wing rotation using battery powered motors. While highly effective at attracting waterfowl, these animated decoys can experience dramatically shortened battery life in cold weather conditions typically encountered during their deployment. An additional problem arises from the fact that the motors used in the decoy devices rotate the wing members at a uniform speed. The lack of variation in wing rotation may tend eventually to diminish the attraction of the decoys to wild fowl. Finally, the overall effectiveness of the rotating wing waterfowl decoy has been so remarkably successful that some states have passed regulations prohibiting the use of electronically powered animated decoys for hunting purposes for some or all of the hunting season.
One preliminary solution to these problems involved attachment of a first end of a flexible cable, such as a speedometer cable, to a decoy housing and attaching the second end to a fishing reel. Turning the fishing reel would rotate the bird wing members. However, this model suffered from certain disadvantages. The first disadvantage involved the means by which the first end of the cable was attached to the decoy housing. Inside the decoy housing was provided a retention block which was attached to the housing. A bird wing member support extended between and supported the wings. In addition, a first gear was mounted on the bird wing member support. A vertical transmission shaft had a second gear joined to the first gear. The first end of the cable was detachably connected to the vertical transmission shaft by threading a retention cap on the cable to a nut which was strapped to the retention block. Assembly of the strap and nut to the retention block was difficult and resulted in an unsatisfactory connection of the cable to the housing.
The second disadvantage was that both hands were needed to operate the fishing reel. This was not only tiresome but also interfered with the instant need for both hands when waterfowl attracted by the decoy suddenly appeared.
There is therefore a need for an improved animated bird replica that does not rely on electric power, which can withstand the rigors of wet and cold weather conditions, which will not run afoul of state regulators, provides a more secure connection between the cable and the housing, and does not require both hands for operation of the decoy.
The present invention relates to a cable-driven animated bird replica providing a housing resembling a bird""s body, e.g., a duck with its head in extended position, and a pair of bird wing members. The bird wing members extend laterally from opposite sides of the housing and are fully rotatable around a common axis. As the bird wing members rotate, they resemble the extended wings of a bird in flight.
The rotary force to drive the wing members is delivered by a flexible cable. A first end of the cable is rotatably connected to the wing members and a second end is rotatably connected to a foot pedal. Depression and release of the foot pedal rotates the second end of the cable which, in turn, rotates the first end of the cable and, hence, the wings. The first end of the cable is firmly attached to the retention block in the housing with a tubular sleeve having an integral threaded-portion. The tubular sleeve is inserted in a vertical channel provided in the bottom of the retention block wherein it is firmly held by the close tolerance between the outer diameter of the sleeve and the inner diameter of the channel. Set screws further secure the sleeve in the channel.
An elongated support stand is provided for anchoring the replica in the earth under a body of water at a height sufficiently above the surface of the water such that the housing and extended rotating bird wing members simulate a bird in flight near the surface of a body of water with wings extended as though about to land.
The entire apparatus is easily assembled and disassembled. To use decoy, the support stand is anchored in a selected location, the housing is placed on the support stake, the cable is laid out and attached to the housing on one end and to the foot pedal from a selected remote location on the other end. The wings of the decoy are therefore rotatable in a controlled manner by operating the foot pedal from the remote location. At the end of the day, the wings are capable of being folded neatly away against the housing or may be quickly removed therefrom. The first end of the cable is joined to the housing using a threaded coupler which is easily unscrewed. The second end of the cable is affixed to the foot pedal in similar fashion. The assembled elements of the combination may therefore a quickly broken down by detaching the cable from the housing and the foot pedal, coiling the cable, and removing the housing from the support stake. The collected parts can then be conveniently stored in a single box.
The invention has the distinct advantage over the prior art of being human-powered thereby avoiding battery-related power problems. Since the apparatus eliminates the use of motors, it operates virtually noise free. The pedal operation of the invention makes it possible for the first time to control the speed of rotation of the wings, allowing an operator to instantly change the rotational speed in reaction to changing conditions, all the while retaining use of both hands. The invention may also avoid restriction under existing regulations prohibiting electric-powered decoys.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an animated bird replica having dual wings rotatable on a common axis and a flexible cable rotatably attached to the wings such that rotation of the wings may be driven at a remote location by rotating the remote end of the cable.
A further object of the invention is to provide an animated bird replica having a housing and dual wings remotely moveable using a flexible cable firmly attached to a retention block in the housing.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an animated bird replica having dual wings rotatable on a common axis wherein rotation of the wings may be driven by a foot pedal at a location remote from the wings via a flexible cable rotatably attached at one end to the wings and at the other to the foot pedal.